Memories
by fastflyervidia
Summary: After noticing James on a ship while she is on the beach with her friends, Zarina decides to talk to him to understand why he has betrayed her.
1. Chapter 1

A week had passed since Zarina had returned to Pixie Hollow after the betrayal of the pirates. She was surprised by how fast she got used to life in Pixie Hollow. It was all quite different from piracy: no swords, no pillage, no plunder and also no double-crossing.

Even though she didn't usually show it since she had returned home, James' betrayal was still an open wound in Zarina's heart. Sitting on a chair by the window, she brought back memories, with a pain growing inside of her, while sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea. She thought about the day when James had found her on the beach, after she had run away from Pixie Hollow. Zarina remembered how hard she was sobbing, all alone with only her bag, a tiny speck of Blue Dust, some colored dust and her "Pixie Dust Experiments" book. She was in despair and sorrow, until a young man, she guessed about twenty-one or two years old, with red and white stripped socks stood in front of her, a worried look on his face.

Remembering the first time she saw her so-called best friend, Zarina couldn't help shedding a few tears. Just at this moment, she heard someone knocking on her door.

"Come in, the door's open", she said, quickly wiping tears from her face.

"Hello Zarina! Want to come to the beach with us?" asked Tinker Bell joyfully.

Zarina thought for a few seconds: she wasn't really fond of the beach after the events of the past week; it was bringing back way too many memories. But then she thought that going there might help her to get over with the pain. Also, it was not like James would be somewhere near the beach, was it?

"It would be a pleasure, Tink!" she answered at last.

Vidia, Fawn, Silvermist, Rosetta and Iridessa were waiting outside the house; and soon the group was heading towards the beach. The girls sat on the sand and talked for a while, until all of them were literally burning under the sun. They decided to swim a bit. Zarina felt better and better. She knew she didn't have to worry anymore; actually, she didn't even know why she was worried about seeing James again. It was probably the fear that he'll try to kill her once more, or maybe she was also afraid to see how ruthless he could be at times again.

When Zarina stood up to go in the water, she heard a voice coming from far away; a very familiar voice. She felt a shiver going down her spine. The ground was spinning fast underneath her feet, way too fast. "This can't be happening", she thought, still shaking in shock and fear. She rested her hand on Vidia's shoulder to regain her balance and to avoid fainting. The other girls heard James' voice too; they stopped talking and looked warningly at Zarina.

"Zarina, don't worry, we're here", said Vidia in a soothing tone.

Zarina quickly flew at the level of the clouds, trying to spot a ship. She saw a dark-colored ship drawing near the land and eventually spotted a red-coated man, possibly James. Before even thinking about what she was doing, Zarina started flying towards the ship. Vidia and Tink soon caught her.

"What are you doing, Zarina?" Tink asked.

"I…I have to go and talk to him… I just want to know _why_ he betrayed me and if our friendship was genuine at one point or not." Zarina answered.

"Then go and talk to him, if it's gonna make you feel better; but we'll be around too, just in case he wants to have another battle", Vidia added.

The girls reached the ship, but Zarina was about to faint; she felt her stomach twisting and the pain she hid deep inside of her growing. "You have to be brave, you have to be strong, Zarina" she told herself. "If he picks up his sword, I'll just cry for help and my friends will be here", she thought. Then after a deep breath, she shot a sideways glance to the man who was at the helm. It was really James with a serious look on his face and his usual red coat.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fawn asked. Zarina nodded a "yes".

"Just remember that we're here, if something goes wrong, we'll save you" Iridessa said.

Zarina smiled lightly and waved goodbye to her friends. She sat on a coffee table near the helm, where there was also a large glass of water for the Captain; in the case it was for James. She waited for James to notice her, which didn't happen until he looked down to the glass of water. Zarina could easily notice his puzzlement.

"Z…Zarina?" James managed to say.

"Hello, James" Zarina said in a sad tone.

"I didn't expect to see you…" he said, still too shocked to be ruthless, "What brings you here?"

"I…I was on the beach and I heard your voice so I just wanted to talk a bit to you… I mean, so much happened."

"Well, um… I'm really surprised, I didn't think you'd want to see me anymore", James told her.

"Let's just say that I have to make some things clear between you and me…" she took a deep breath before continuing, "Why James? Why did you betray me?" Zarina's voice was full of sadness. She had to fight back tears.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

"_Let's just say that I have to make some things clear between you and me…" she took a deep breath before continuing, "Why James? Why did you betray me?" Zarina's voice was full of sadness. She had to fight back tears._

James' face seemed to regain the cruel and cold expression he had the day he betrayed her, the day when all of his lies came up. Zarina _hated_ to see this facial expression again, and she looked away until the Captain finally answered after a long silence.

"Life itself is made of lies, Zarina" said James, "If you think about what people told you in one day, you'll actually realize that more than half of their words were actually lies. They tell you a lie to not hurt you when you ask them a question; or some people also tell you rubbish to hurt you in the future. This is a part of real life."

Zarina looked up at him with deep anger in her eyes.

"Real friends don't lie", she scolded, "They try to be honest for the good of their friends. That's what my _real_ friends are doing in Pixie Hollow. For over a year, I thought that _you_ were also a true friend but what is my so-called best friend doing? He traps me in a lantern, throws the lantern in the sea to drown me and later on tries to kill me with a knife!"

"There was a time when I treated you well…" James tried to defend himself.

"You sure treated me well during over a year, but then you managed to shatter my trust and my heart" Zarina felt tears streaming down her face, "You were my only hope, James. The one I loved like a brother, the one I trusted the most."

James sighed and looked away. No matter how much he could be cruel, he still couldn't bear to see Zarina crying.

"You still didn't fully answer my question" she said, "What was the true reason of your betrayal? I know it wasn't because real life is full of lies."

At this point James relaxed and his face almost became as sincere as when Zarina and he were still on good terms.

"Since my childhood, I've never been a winner" James said softly, "I've never been a winner in life, in games or even in friendship. At prep school, I used to sit all alone on a wooden bench during recess. I was reading books while other children were playing. Reading books were the only issue to forget my loneliness, and to forget about how bitter life can be. When I went to high school, things didn't change. I was still an outcast at school, just like you were in Pixie Hollow. But reading books during each recess opened me a lot of doors. Thanks to the things I've learnt I've been able to enter Eton, which was probably my biggest pride in life. During my last year at Eton, I often searched for a job, but they never gave me the job, thinking I was way too clever. That's how I dived into piracy. The night I graduated from Eton, I packed my things, bought a ship with the money I saved for over twenty years and opened into the sea, living my family behind." Zarina saw James' eyes becoming watery.

"I knew I could be who I am while navigating" James went on, "And I met the crew, we plundered many ports and lived pleasantly for a while, until one day our ship wrecked… We found ourselves in Neverland. That night, the night we lost everything, I met a fairy who had just like us lost everything, as she ran away from home." He paused and looked in Zarina's eyes, "From the first time I saw you, I knew you'd be a big help to us, and I made up a plan to own the precious Blue Dust, which would have helped us plunder every port in the Seven Seas. So I made you Captain of the ship, helped you to steal the Blue Dust and when my wish came true, I betrayed you since I didn't need you anymore."

"Why didn't you tell me your story from the beginning, why did you lie to me? I didn't want to be Captain, I just wanted to be somewhere where people would appreciate my talents; I could have worked for you without being Captain… We would have plundered the Seven Seas together" Zarina told him angrily.

"_We would have_, but now it's too late… The only thing I can tell you is… I apologize" said James.

"You broke my heart, James, it'll take me a very long to forgive you and to trust you again. Besides, I didn't come to apologize, I came to get the answers of some questions…"

"You already had your answer didn't you?" asked James suspiciously

"There's one more thing…" said Zarina quietly, "Was our friendship genuine at one point or was it all an act?"

"It was indeed genuine at one point, I've nearly always forgot the plan, and more than half of the time I was sincere about our friendship."

Zarina saw that James wasn't lying this time: his eyes showed sincerity.

"I… I just wish we were still friends, Zarina. I know I shouldn't have treated you that way" added James.

"We can't go back in the past, James. Maybe someday I'll trust you again, but until that day, I'll keep my eye on you." She looked at the wall clock. "I should be going; my friends are waiting for me… Thank you for your answers, James; and goodbye."

"Will I see you around again?" asked James

"Maybe…" answered Zarina with a light smile on her face.

She then returned to Pixie Hollow with her friends, happy to learn that James was being genuine in their friendship.

**This is my first Fanfiction. Please enjoy and review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: I was actually planning to finish my story on the 2nd chapter, but as some of my readers wanted me to continue, I'll write some extra chapters… Also, thank you for reading my story, it made me really happy :) **

In the evening, after finishing her duties at the Pixie Dust Depot and experimenting a bit with Pixie Dust, Zarina returned home to change her clothes: she replaced her dust-keeper clothes by her pirate corset, her stylish skirt and she putted on the boots that were making Rosetta jealous from far. She let down her ginger hair, which immediately gained its wild and thick form. This evening, she was going to see James; it has been two weeks since she had talked to him, and to be honest, Zarina missed him, especially now, as she knew their friendship was genuine. After glancing once more in the mirror, she flew towards the Cove. As she flew there, she smelled the scent of the sea, a scent that she used to smell every day when she was pirate Captain, and which reminded her many things. She soon spotted the pirate ship, with its lanterns glowing bright through the night. Nobody was at the helm, so Zarina flew to the Captain's quarters and she carefully listened through the door. No sound could be heard. Shyly, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" said James' voice. He immediately rushed to open the door when he heard Zarina's jingling voice.

"Zarina! You're back!" he said, "You didn't tell me you'll come back"

"I said maybe" Zarina laughed, "I didn't say yes and I didn't say no"

"Why didn't you come to see me earlier? It's been two weeks since our last talk" James pouted.

"Well, I had a lot a work to do at the Pixie Dust Depot, and I've spent a lot of time trying to teach Pixie Dust Alchemy to the other fairies, I've lost a bit the track of time…"

"You know, I've found some of your notes on Pixie Dust Alchemy, they were in the chest that saved my life when I was in the water for more than two days, waiting for a ship to see me" said James

"What did I write?" asked Zarina.

"Come, I'll show you" said James.

He stood up and walked towards the chest; he opened it, took some pieces of folded papers and brought them to Zarina, who was quietly sitting on the table. Zarina looked at the papers, but she couldn't read anything, as it was too dark in the room. To help her, James took his lantern and approached it to Zarina. When she saw James' action, Zarina instinctively flew to the other side of the room, her heart racing in her chest. She knew James didn't mean to trap her in the lantern this time, but she didn't trust him; and as long as this trust wasn't restored, she knew she'd probably overreact every time she'd see James holding a lantern. James looked away in shame, feeling guilty for his previous actions.

"I'm sorry, James" Zarina apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry, Zarina" James sighed, "I'm here the only one who should apologize."

Zarina yawned.

"Are you tired?" asked James

"Yes, it was a very long day at the Depot" she answered, "I think I should go home and take some rest"

It wasn't a lie, Zarina was really tired; but she also wanted to go home because she still didn't trust James; and she didn't think it was a good idea to stay too long next to him: she feared to be betrayed again. When she saw James looking painfully at her, she added:

"Don't worry, I'll come back tomorrow"

"See you tomorrow, then" said James, trying to smile at her.

Zarina smiled at him and flew back to Pixie Hollow. James watched her glow slowly fade with tears in his eyes: Zarina was the only friend he had for now, and he'd probably do anything to regain her trust…

To be continued…

**Here is the next chapter, please enjoy :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**The 4th chapter is up, please enjoy and review :)**

James was in the Captain's Quarters, he was taking a look to all his photo albums. He remembered with nostalgia the old days when he was still at Eton, living a normal life, despite the fact that he was an outcast. From his quarters, he could hear the crew yelling at each other while they played cards. One of them freed a bullet through the air. James thought: "What am I doing here with these people?" His eyes set on a dark-brown photo album, the one he didn't open for months. Taking a deep breath, he opened it. There were at least two hundred pages of pictures, pictures he had taken when Zarina and he were still friends. The two best friends used to sit next to each other in the Captain's Quarter, looking at the pictures while drinking a cup of tea. Sometimes, they were using blank pages to write a sort of diary, where they wrote about piracy, their friendship and their big ambition: to make the pirate ship fly. Of course, James was the only one who could write; Zarina was too small to hold a pencil, she was usually telling James what she'd like to write, and he was writing it down. As he looked at the pictures, James' eyes filled with tears: Zarina was looking very happy to be next to him, very happy to be a part of the crew. James was now seeing clearly who much she trusted him. Suddenly, he remembered how Zarina looked at him when he trapped her in the lantern. There was sadness, anger in this looked. She seemed to ask him "How can you do this to me?" In fact, James was right now thinking about the same thing: "Why did I betray her? How did I do this to her?" he questioned himself. Zarina has always been there when he needed, she has always been understanding and friendly towards James. Thinking about Zarina, James took his face in his hands and started to sob. He wanted her to trust him again, to be on good terms with her again; but it would take a very long time. He didn't have time; he couldn't bear being alone anymore. He needed someone who would understand him, someone he could trust. None of the pirates were understanding or friendly, that's why he felt all alone. He started to sob harder, tears streaming down his face. He didn't even notice that someone was knocking on the door. That someone was Zarina, and when she heard James crying, she opened suddenly the door, with the help of her powerful dust. She rushed to James' side and put a soothing hand on his shoulder. That's when James finally noticed her, and he looked at her with his eyes red from crying. Zarina looked very worried; she had never seen James in this state.

"What happened, James? Are you alright?" she asked all at once.

James nodded a "yes", unable to speak. As always, Zarina was next to him when he needed her. He let another tear roll down his cheek. Zarina wiped the tear and noticed that their photo album was opened.

"Are you crying because of that?" she asked

"Yes, I… I felt guilty for all the things I've done to you, Zarina…"he took another deep breath before going on, "I've had enough of being all alone on a ship and when I thought about how friendly and understanding you were, I started crying"

"Are you feeling better now?" asked softly Zarina

"Yes…"

"James, you're not all alone on the ship, you have your crew" she said

"They aren't my friends; they are too ruthless and bloodthirsty"

"Well… I'm here now"

"But we are not on very good terms liked we used to be! I screwed up our whole friendship by betraying you!" James said

Zarina sighed, she didn't know what to tell him.

"After a while, maybe we'd be best friends again, James…" she finally said.

The two old friends spent the afternoon talking and looking at their old pictures until the evening, when Zarina went back to Pixie Hollow. James felt better: talking with Zarina made him forget his loneliness, and he went back to work; looking forward to see her again.


	5. Chapter 5

**The 5th chapter is up, hope you'll like it :)**

Zarina was at home, reading a book about Pixie Dust Alchemy. For the first time since months, she couldn't concentrate on what she was reading, and she didn't want to experiment with Pixie Dust. She was thinking about James, wondering if she should forgive him or wait a bit. During the whole day, she wasn't able to think about anything else but this; she was really worried about the subject. Zarina needed help; she decided to talk to someone who was giving good advices, someone she was trusting. She flew towards the Sour Plum Tree, wanting to talk to Vidia. Despite being sometimes ironic and sarcastic, Vidia was good at solving problems, and she was one of Zarina's closest friends. Vidia instantly opened the door when Zarina knocked, she greeted her friend.

"Hi, Zarina!" she said, "What brings you here?"

"Hi, Vid. I… I need to talk to you about something…"

"Don't stay out there, come in" said Vidia.

She immediately noticed that Zarina seemed upset and anxious about something. The two friends sat down on the sofa with a cup of chamomile tea in their hands.

"What's the matter, Zarina?" asked Vidia

"It's about James…" Zarina answered, "He admitted that our friendship was genuine; and yesterday when I went to visit him, I saw him crying because he was feeling guilty for his past actions. I don't know if I should forgive him…"

"What do you feel like doing?" asked Vidia

"I don't know; I'm scared that he'll betray me once more, but he seemed really sincere yesterday; he talked to me about his loneliness and sadness…"

"Loneliness? He has a crew, why does he feel lonely?"

"His crew doesn't understand him" said Zarina

"Well then", said Vidia, "I think you should continue to visit him; and the next time you'll see him, talk to him about your fear of being betrayed again; that's when you'll understand if he lies or not: his eyes will tell you everything…"

" So I should wait a bit before trusting him again shouldn't I?" asked Zarina

"Exactly" answered Vidia

"Two weeks ago, I went to see him", said Zarina, "I was trying to read some of my notes about Pixie Dust Alchemy that James found, it was too dark in the room, so James approached a lantern to me… I don't know why, but I immediately rushed to the other side of the room, even though James didn't have a bad intention" she let a tear roll down her cheek, "He seemed really upset by my sudden overreaction, but I couldn't help it. The day he trapped me in the lantern, I felt like my world has turned upside down; my friend who taught me to be happy again after I ran away shattered my heart into pieces! I was so blinded by the fact that they considered me like one of them that I didn't even see it coming!" Zarina began crying, and Vidia hugged her friend tightly.

"You'll feel better after a good cry…" Vidia said softly

They stayed like this for a while until Zarina stopped crying. Her eyes were red and she seemed very tired, but she felt that her pain was relieved.

"How are you feeling now?" asked Vidia

"Much better, thank you Vid." whispered Zarina, "It's getting late now, I should go and see James; thank you for your advices, Vidia. You were a big help" she said

"You're welcome, Zarina; what are friends for?" said Vidia.

After saying goodbye to Vidia, Zarina directly went to the pirate ship; and as always knocked softly on the door. She heard footsteps, and James opened the door.

"Hello, Zarina! Come in!" he said eagerly. James sat on his wooden chair and Zarina sat on the table, as usual.

"Have you already eaten dinner?" he asked

"No, I was way too busy" she answered

"Would you like to eat some with me?" asked James

"It would be a pleasure" Zarina smiled

"I'll be back in a few minutes then, I'll prepare dinner" said James as he walked out of the room.

By curiosity, Zarina looked inside of the drawer, and she found a small notebook. It was James' diary. She didn't like to look inside other people's stuff, but she had to do this to learn if James was lying. With shaking hands, she slowly opened the diary. It was written:

"_I really hate myself now. I'm alone in the middle of nowhere with a band of pirates who doesn't even seem to understand the most basic things about piracy. I'm completely alone, an outcast for them. I fled for my home, my family to find people who would accept me, but even now I'm alone. The only one who accepted me for who I am was Zarina, and now I lost her trust. I'm happy every time I see her: I see in front on me someone who understands me. That's why I'm looking forward to see her. Even though I broke her heart and trust, she is still always there for me when I need. I hope she'll trust me again someday; in fact, I'm willing to do anything to earn her trust back. Zarina's friendship is a treasure to me. I will prove her that I'll never betray her again. Ever._

A small smile formed on Zarina's lips as she read this.

To be continued…

**Please enjoy and review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: The 6th chapter is up, please enjoy… I'd like to thank all my readers for supporting my story; you made my day :)**

Zarina quickly closed the diary and put it back inside the drawer when she heard footsteps. As James came in with two plates containing fish and mashed potatoes; Zarina sat back on the table and looked at him innocently. In fact, she was thrilled by the things she just read, but she avoided smiling; or James could become suspicious.

"Here is the dinner, Captain" James said joyfully. Zarina gasped when she realized that he just called her Captain. James froze too.

"Captain?" asked Zarina

"I…I don't know why I said this, it just came out automatically…" mumbled James

"Anyway, let's just pretend that you didn't say anything" said Zarina, "Thank you very much for the dinner…I missed eating with you"

James smiled at her and they both started eating. They never talked much during meals, they would just eat quietly and then talk for hours, sometimes until midnight. That day, they were both thinking.

Zarina thought: _"Should I talk to him about my fear of being betrayed again or should I just keep the subject closed for now?"_

James thought: _"She accepted eating something I cooked… It means that she trusts me a bit more, she isn't scared that I'll poison her or something like that…"_

Zarina decided to be brave and she broke the silence:

"So, what did you do today?" she asked

"Nothing pretty interesting, in fact" James answered, "It was a day filled with all kind of problems; as always" he sighed

"What kind of problems?"

"Well, since I stepped on this ship; I'm trying to learn to these pirates what _real_ _piracy _is about, but they still don't seem to get it. I'm not able to plunder anything with them! I miss my old crew"

"Do you have the faintest idea of where they are right now?" asked Zarina

"I wish I had" whispered James, "I had to leave all of them behind when I tried to run away from an evil baby crocodile"

"What about you?" asked James, "What did you do today?"

"My day wasn't interesting either" she answered, "First, I went to the Pixie Dust Depot to work until noon; and then I studied a bit Alchemy…"

Another short period of silence came. Zarina just couldn't wait anymore. She tried to appear strong, and said in a trembling voice:

"Listen, James… I have to talk to you about something…"

James sat up straight and swallowed, worried about the upcoming talk. It was obviously not a very pleasant subject: Zarina looked _very_ serious.

"I have the feeling that we're starting to be on good terms again, James" Zarina started, "I'm really happy to feel like you're my friend; but I'm worried. Worried that it all may be an act again, worried to be cast apart."

"I would never betray you again, I suffered way too much from last time…"

"I'm glad to hear that…"

"Do you believe me?" asked James

"Let's just say that I have some proves that you're a hundred per cent sincere" said Zarina.

James looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

"You seemed _really_ upset the day I saw crying; plus, I looked… I looked in your diary. I'm sorry, I know the diary concerns only you, but I had to find out if you really appreciate me or not" mumbled Zarina

James seemed slightly surprised, but he smiled at her.

"No need to apologize, Zarina" he said softly, "You didn't read the diary with bad intentions; you just had to learn a few things"

"So you're not mad?" asked Zarina

"Why should I be?" answered James, "No matter how many times I already told you this, I'm telling you again: I will _never_ cast you apart…"

It looked like they'd soon be on very good terms again, almost like best friends. The more she talked with him, the better she felt.

"Did you forgive me?" asked James. It seemed like he actually didn't really want to hear Zarina's answer.

"I'm trying to" she answered, "But it's pretty hard for me to forget all the past events… However, I don't feel anymore the pain I used to feel each time I talked to you"

James seemed relieved. He felt that he was regaining the trust of his old friend. It was now getting late. After thanking James for the dinner, Zarina went out from the Captain's quarters. Once back at Pixie Hollow, she saw Vidia near the Pixie Dust Tree.

"Zarina! So, what happened?" asked Vidia

"I had a great time, Vid!" she said, "I know have many proves that James truly cares about me! We're becoming friends again…" Zarina told Vidia what was written in James' diary. Everything seemed absolutely perfect. _Almost too perfect…_

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

**The 7****th**** chapter is up; please enjoy and review :)**

_Everything seemed absolutely perfect. Almost too perfect… _

James was as usual sitting in his quarters, studying seriously a map. _The map of the Mainland_. It has been a long time since he arrived in Neverland, and soon all the food, clothes and weapon storages located in Skull Rock would be empty. The crew kept pestering James, telling him that they'd like to go back home. James was very concerned with the fact that he'd have to go back to London. "But how?" he wondered. The only way to go back home was to fly, and the ship couldn't fly; not without the help of a certain Dust-Keeper fairy. Zarina surely wouldn't lend him some dust, not after what happened last time. Gathering all his courage, he wrote a letter to Zarina, which was soon delivered to her by a dove. Zarina was surprised, James _never_ wrote her letters, unless there was an emergency. Holding her breath, she slowly opened it:

"_Dear Zarina, Meet me on the ship as soon as possible, I need a big help for… Well, I'll explain you later. It's an emergency…_

_James"_

To be honest, Zarina was a bit disappointed that James didn't mention what the "emergency" was in his letter; but she quickly flew to the ship, her heart racing in her chest at the thought that something bad might have happened. James felt relieved when he heard Zarina knocking on his door; he stood up and welcomed his friend.

"What's the matter, James?" asked Zarina as she came in

"I need your help, Zarina" answered James, "This morning, I checked the storages, and soon we'll probably run out of food, clean clothes and weapons. The crew wants to go back to the Mainland, and I fear a mutiny…"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Can you lend me some Pixie Dust?" asked nervously James. Zarina's facial expression suddenly went from friendly to aggressive. As James feared, she didn't seem really eager to help.

"So you can make a fool out of me again, isn't it?" snapped Zarina. James was taken aback by her sudden mood swing; he didn't realize that his betrayal was still an open wound in Zarina's heart.

"No...No, I'd never dare to make a fool out of you; I'm being sincere with the fact that I _need_ that dust. My life is in danger Zarina, I don't want to end up cut into pieces by the crew…" James said. Zarina felt guilty for her sudden outburst, James seemed vulnerable and lonely. Even more important, he _needed her_. James has been there for her at her lowest moments, taking care and helping her. Now it was her turn to help him, but she couldn't take the risk to hand him some Pixie Dust; it would jeopardize the whole fairy community if he used it badly. She'd first talk to Queen Clarion and her friends, and only with the Queen's authorization and help, she'd lend James some dust.

"You still don't trust me, do you?" asked painfully James. This sentence made Zarina come back to reality.

"I…You know that I can't trust you again easily" said Zarina, trying to soften her words that would probably hurt him. James didn't answer immediately, but after a few seconds, he whispered:

"I just wish nothing bad happened between you and me"

"Wishes always come true, James" said softly Zarina, "Especially when you're in a magical place like Neverland"

"So then I'll keep wishing" James smiled weakly

"Listen" said Zarina, "I first have to go and talk to the Queen about this subject; and only then I might be able to help you"

"Thank you, Zarina" said James, "I'm expecting good news from you…"

"I have to go now" said Zarina, "All my friends are waiting for me at the Depot…"

"See you soon, then" answered James.

That's how their discussion ended, as Zarina flew back home, her head in her thoughts…

**I'm sorry if this chapter is too short, but I couldn't write more without giving away the next chapter…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: I'm so sorry, I couldn't update for a long time because I was very busy. I hope that you'll all like this chapter which is also the last chapter of this story. Please enjoy and review :)**

Zarina sat silently outside the Council Chamber, waiting for Queen Clarion to call her. Very soon, the Queen's soft voice came to her ears.

"Come in, Zarina" she said. Zarina came in, a big knot in her stomach and a sorrowful look on her face.

" I'm sorry to bother you, Queen Clarion", said Zarina, "But there is an emergency"

"Zarina, I'm here to listen to your problems and help you solve them", said softly Queen Clarion, "Always know that you can come to talk to me whenever you want."

"Thank you..." whispered Zarina

"Now", Queen Clarion started, "Whatever is the matter?"

"Today, I went to see James, who told me that there was an emergency...", she took a deep breath before going on, " The ship will soon be out of storages, and the crew keeps pestering him: they want to go back to the Mainland. James fears a mutiny; so he took the decision to go back to London."

"But they can't go back without flying" noticed the Queen

"That's the problem", answered Zarina, "He wants me to lend him some Pixie Dust in order to make the pirate ship fly. I still don't fully trust him; that's why I need your help, Queen Clarion. What do you think I should do?"

"Listen to your heart, Zarina", Queen Clarion said, "You're the one he talked to. If you think that he was sincere this time; if you think that he won't use the Pixie Dust on bad purpose, then lend him some"

"He was indeed sincere when he asked for help", Zarina said, "He seemed really heartbroken when I first denied to help him. He needs me now more than ever. I just can't leave him in this state..."

"Alright then", the Queen smiled, "Go and tell Fairy Gary that I allowed you to take a bagful of dust "

"Thank you so much, Queen Clarion!" Zarina said with glee, "You were a big help"

"You're welcome my dear" she answered. Zarina raced to the Pixie Dust Depot, and took her bagful of dust.

"Don't worry, James; I won't let you down" she thought. It seemed like forgiveness and friendship won the battle over anger and sadness. Not wanting to lose more time, she rushed to the Pirate Ship. Hiding the bag containing the Pixie Dust behind her back, Zarina knocked gently on the Captain's Quarters's door. James opened the door; black circles under his eyes from staying awake way too long.

"Welcome again, Zarina" he told her. She could see the fear in his eyes.

"I talked to the Queen", Zarina started with a serious look on her face, "And she told me that I can lend you some Pixie Dust!" she finished her sentence with a big smile on her face and a joyful voice tone.

"Now these are good news!" James said with enthusiasm. He felt relieved; this help meant a lot to him: it meant that Zarina was finally trusting him again.

"How much Pixie Dust can you give me?" he asked, " Ten or fifteen specks?"

"Fifteen specks?" Zarina laughed, "James, I brought you a _bagful_ of Pixie Dust. It should be enough for the trip to the Mainland"

"I don't know how to thank you, Zarina" said James tenderly, " You really saved me this time"

For the first time since he betrayed Zarina, James hugged her tightly. Zarina hugged him back, feeling that she could trust him. He let a few tears roll down his cheeks; but these were tears of joy, not of sadness.

"Don't cry", she said with a teary smile, "Or you will make me cry too"

James chuckled, "As you wish", he said.

The two friends then went to see James' crew. None of them knew Zarina, but they were thrilled to meet someone who helped them. Zarina watched silently as James poured some Pixie Dust on the sails of the ship; which started to glow. James also poured the dust on the ship itself. The Pirate Ship started to fly under the effect of the dust while the crew shouted joyfully. James was as silent as Zarina. Knowing what was going inside her mind, he whispered: "Don't worry, I'll be back soon"

"Did you keep enough Pixie Dust to fly the ship back here?" Zarina asked

"I kept half of the bag" he answered, "Thank you again, I owe you my life. Without your help, the crew would have killed me soon enough"

"I owe you my life too, James", said Zarina, her voice cracking; "You're the one who took care of me during a whole year"

They hugged one last time; and James went on the ship, which was flying towards the Second Star. Zarina stayed there until the ship disappeared from sight; and she allowed herself to cry her eyes out.

THE END

**Hope you liked it :) Thank you all for reading and supporting my story; which reached more than 1700 views! Thank you so much ;)**


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